Undana Becomes Indonesia's Sole Representative in Geothermal Training in New Zealand

Kupang (ANTARA) - Universitas Nusa Cendana (Undana) in Kupang, NTT, is the only higher education institution in Indonesia sending a delegate to a short training course in geothermal energy at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

The Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FST) at Undana, Prof Philiphi de Rozari, stated in Kupang on Friday that the delegate sent is Adept Titu Eki, a lecturer from the Mining Engineering Study Programme at Undana.

He explained that the programme is the result of collaboration between Undana’s FST and the Directorate of Geothermal Energy, Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE), Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

According to him, the five-week training is expected to strengthen Undana’s academic capacity in the development of new renewable energy, particularly geothermal.

“We hope that upon returning from New Zealand, the experience and knowledge gained can accelerate the process of opening the Geology Engineering Study Programme,” he said.

The Coordinator of the Mining Engineering Study Programme at Undana’s FST, Noni Banunaek, stated that the central government’s trust in Undana is an acknowledgement of the campus’s potential in developing earth sciences.

Previously, she said, 20 lecturers from various universities in Indonesia attended the initial training stage in Jakarta and Bandung, before participants were selected for advanced training abroad.

“Only Undana was selected to send a lecturer for this five-week programme. All facilities are covered by the Directorate of Geothermal Energy,” she said.

Meanwhile, Adept Titu Eki stated that the knowledge obtained from the University of Auckland is highly relevant to supporting the management of geothermal potential in East Nusa Tenggara, especially on Flores Island.

“Geothermal is the future of our energy. I hope the expertise gained can be applied for regional development and the development of the young generation in NTT,” he said.

The province of NTT, particularly Flores Island, is known to have considerable geothermal potential, which is considered strategic for supporting the national energy transition and the provision of clean energy-based electricity.